Custom 2003 Ford F250 - Everything Is Bigger In Texas

Setting The Lone Star State On Fire

Everyone has a story about how he got into custom trucks, and Justin James of McAllen, Texas, is no different. For him, it was all about big trucks and big wheels from the time he was 16. When it came time for Justin to get into his latest project, he knew he wanted to go bigger than ever. For that, he needed the right truck.

Off to the dealership he went, and a few hours later he picked up an '03 Ford F-250. Justin knew what he wanted to do, so there was no reason to wait a long time to start. Just two weeks into owning the truck, it was down at Truck Toyz in McAllen, Texas, to get torn apart and lifted to the sky.

Of course everything starts with the suspension, and the crew wanted to kick things up a notch or two. The truck was relieved of the 1940s-style leaf-spring suspension, which was replaced with a three-link kit from One Up Offroad. The lift was provided by 2.5-inch King coilovers with external reservoirs mounted to a custom bracket off of the frame. This setup was duplicated out back to give a perfect balance of lift and handling, with the whole lift towering the truck 16 inches into the air. A set of 22-inch RBP T901s were powdercoated black and mounted to 40-inch Toyo Open Country tires. The truck was now super-skied and looked a lot better, but there was still more to do.

Since Truck Toyz is an off-road shop, the crew there really wanted to show off their custom-fabrication skills with the entire truck. On the inside they constructed a crazy rollcage that goes across the pillars, behind each of the four Corbeau seats, and rolls into a custom center console. Dimpled sheetmetal connects the tubing to make it look like a custom suspension part. Inside of the center console sits a crazy sub enclosure that holds the MTX subs and PPI amps, and up front a 7-inch monitor straddles the seats. The main hoop of the 'cage rolls up the B-pillars and replaces the stock plastic panels, and up top it holds a pair of monitors for rear-seat viewing. The 'cage also provides a solid mounting point for the Crow five-point harnesses, which keep everyone in the seats during those wild off-roading trips the truck was built to make.

Once all the fabrication was done, it was rolled over to Modena Autowerks in Houston, Texas, for a full spray job. The guys there laid out a set of trick flames and sprayed the truck in a custom-mixed House of Kolor green then sprayed sick skulls inside of the flames for extra depth. The entire truck, dashboard, and rollcage was painted a custom House of Kolor blue as well, completing the truck and making it a showpiece for all to admire.

It took a little over three years to build the truck, but at the end of it all it was worth it. Through the partying, the sleepless nights, and the large amounts of cash coming out of his wallet, Justin kept a positive outlook on the truck every step of the way. He even brought it out to the 2007 SEMA Show, driving it all the way from Texas to Vegas for a week of fun. We're not sure if he's done with it yet, but we can't wait to see what he comes up with next.